something soft
("hundirse in cosa blanda," like light loam), and _bat_, the grain,
the seed, and the name refers to the planting of the crops. The
Quiche-Cakchiquel _kanel_ is the name of the Guardian of the Sown
Seed, probably from _kan_, yellow, referring to the yellow grains
or maize. The Zapotec _lapa_ or _laba_ means a drop, and a crown or
garland; here probably the latter, in reference to the products of
the fields. The rabbit, in Nahuatl, is the symbol of ease and
intoxication.

Thus, while Dr Brinton explains the name by "sinking in the mud or
soil," Brasseur explains it by "sinking in the water."

It is much more likely that the Maya name is but a modification of
_lemba_, which, as a verb, according to Henderson, signifies "to flash,
to shine, etc;" and as a noun, according to Perez, "resplendor, brillo,
relampago." I have no Tzental vocabulary at hand, but observe that in
the closely allied Zoztzil, "relampagear" is given as the equivalent of
_lemlaghet_.

It is a coincidence worthy of a passing notice that in Hawaiian _lama_
and _pu-lama_ signify "a torch;" _au-lama_, "to give light;" _malama_,
"light from the sun or moon;" in Samoan, _lama_, "the candle-nut tree,
and a torch made of the nuts;" in Tonga, _mama_, "light, a flambeau;"
New Zealand, _rama_, "candle, light;" Tahaitan, _rama_, "a torch."

It is somewhat singular that Dr Brinton, after his interpretation of the
Maya name of the fourth day heretofore given, should in this instance
derive _kanel_--the Quiche-Cakchiquel name of this day--from lean,
"yellow," referring to the yellow grains of maize. However, it is quite
probable that the reference to the color in this explanation is correct.

The traditions of the Indians in which the rabbit is brought into
relation with the sun are well known. Dr Brinton has shown in his work
on "American Hero Myths" that the Rabbit or Great Hare in the Algonquian
myths symbolized "light." He remarks in "The Lenape and their Legends"
that--

The familiar Algonkin myth of the "Great Hare," which I have
elsewhere shown to be distinctively a myth of Light, was also well
known to the Delawares, and they applied to this animal, also, the
appellation of the "Grandfather of the Indians." Like the fire, the
hare was considered their ancestor, and in both instances the Light
was meant, fire being its symbol, and the word for hare being
identical